1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to imaging, and, more particularly, to an apparatus providing a reduction in media skew during a sheet picking operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an imaging apparatus, such as an ink jet printer or scanner, various methods and mechanisms are utilized to move media into an imaging zone for printing or scanning. One such sheet picking mechanism includes a pick arm free to pivot about a pivot axis, and a pick roller rotatably mounted to the pick arm for picking a media sheet from a supply tray. The pick arm includes a drive assembly, e.g., a driven gear and one or more idler gears, for driving the pick roller during a sheet picking operation. The choice of materials for construction and tolerance build-up between attached parts, such as between the pick arm and the associated pivot mounting feature, may allow this type of sheet picking mechanism to exhibit excessive motion out of the intended plane of action, thereby imparting an undesirable component of force to the media sheet being picked and causing it to skew rotationally. This skew results in improper placement of the media in the imaging zone. For example, in an ink jet printer, such skew during sheet picking may result in the image being skewed on the printed page.
What is needed in the art is an apparatus that reduces media skew during a sheet picking operation.